


Heart on a Leash

by abelia



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Fluff, Hinted Pining Eren, Kissing, M/M, Pets, Pining Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Veterinarian Eren, Veterinary Clinic, shout out to the people who give their pets weird names i love you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-07 20:41:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6823273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abelia/pseuds/abelia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Looking back, Levi was pretty sure that there were better ways to seduce a man than by tailing stray kittens across town in the middle of the night. But then again, Levi had never been too good at thinking things through.</p><p>[ERERI WEEK: Day 4 - Animals/Pets]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heart on a Leash

Looking back, Levi was pretty sure that there were better ways to seduce a man than by tailing stray kittens across town in the middle of the night. But then again, Levi had never been too good at thinking things through.

Levi’s stare remained fixed on the black kitten in front of him, eyes glued to the small figure, currently running about the small dark-lit alley in search for food, looking down on him from his position on a local public dumpster.

Hanji would never let him live this down.

Levi glowered as the little black demon snuck his way through piles of trash, the sight making Levi shiver in disgust. The kitten, on the other hand, remained seemingly unaffected by the man’s current predicament. 

_Stupid apathetic animals._

He frowned, mouth in a tight line as he pondered over the next best course of action. He didn’t want to have to take a single step closer to the pile of trash gathered up in front of him, his current position already pushing far past his usual boundaries, but the only way that involved not moving from his position would be to throw his jacket at the thing. He sighed. At least he owned a good washing machine.

He waited from the top of his dumpster, attempting to make himself as small as possible, eyeing the little monster as the latter persevered in his intent to ignore to the best of his ability, carrying on with his quest for food. 

_Asshole._

How long was he going to make Levi stand here for? He had other things to do. _Productive_ things. _Useful_ things. 

He sighed, dropping his head down in defeat and questioning all the reasons that had led him to this fateful, humiliating moment. It was all because of that goddamn veterinarian, and because of that bright— and probably illegal, Levi was sure of it— smile of his. He groaned.

_Curse that smile._

———

It had all started a couple of months ago, after Hanji decided that Levi was the absolute “only one” able to get her monstrous dog at the clinic that day, and Levi had had to sit through an hour of watching people wail about their pets, and the distinct unpleasant smell doctor clinics always seemed to emanate. 

Levi was sitting in the waiting room of the veterinary clinic, Hanji’s monster of a Mastiff drooling on his lap— lap that he had claimed shortly after their arrival— and his ass growing numb from the hard purple plastic chairs, and couldn’t help the irritated groan that escaped his throat. He probably wouldn’t have stopped it even if he could. This was not how he had expected to spend his day off. He glowered at the slouched beast, and his ever-growing irritation filled the room with unease as the people around him shuffled and coughed uncomfortably.

———

“But you’re the only person who can help us, Levi!” Hanji whined, hands thrown forward in a plea. 

Levi wouldn’t have any of it.

“Well, isn’t that unfortunate,” he spat out, eyebrows tightly drawn together and arms crossed together in a clear show of rejection. His decision was final; there was simply no way he would go through with this ridiculous plan on his day off.

“Please,” Hanji exclaimed, bringing her hands together. Levi let out an annoyed ‘tsk’ before turning his head away in defiance. “I’ll do anything you want in return! I’ll even clean your house!”

“I’d rather have your slobbering mess of a dog clean my house.” 

“You’re the only person who isn’t busy this weekend—” Levi’s eye twitched. “—and Petra and I really need to have poor Sonny checked. Can’t you see he’s been acting all weird lately?” All Levi had seen was the same drooling beast napping on the carpet. “We can’t take him to Petra’s family dinner in this condition!” 

“He doesn’t look all that different to me,” he growled in annoyance, casting a sideway glance at the sleeping beast. It wasn’t a lie. He couldn’t spot anything different about the dog. Just the same dumb drooling beast. Hanji was probably imagining things. 

“That’s because you don’t see him every day the way we do,” Hanji sighed gravely, as if her one sentence explanation shed light on the entire matter, her hands settled heavily on each side of her hips. “He keeps scratching his ear like a madman, the poor thing!” 

Levi rolled his eyes. So what if the mutt scratched his ear once or twice? That was hardly _his_ problem. 

He mulled over his options as he turned towards the slouched figure of the dog lying on the living room carpet. He could always say no and leave Hanji to deal with her _own_ problems. After all, he had planned his perfect day off already, and it did most definitely _not_ include a gigantic mess of drool and hair. 

His eye twitched as he saw Sonny’s drool hit the floor unceremoniously. 

Fuck, Hanji. There was no way Levi was doing her this favor. She would just have to find someone else.

———

Sonny snored loudly from his place on Levi’s lap, the sheer force of the sound sending vibrations throughout Levi’s body. His eye twitched.

This had to be a fucking joke. 

“Disgusting,” Levi sneered as he pushed the heavy head out of his lap, waking the dog from his deep slumber. The beast blinked up at him lazily before sluggishly letting his hefty head fall back on his lap. 

_The nerve._

Levi was about to protest and reject the dog once more— he wouldn’t stand for this— when his attention was distracted by the sound of heavy footsteps and mild shouting in the corridor that appeared to be coming this way. He let out a groan as he let the dog’s head rest where it was at, finding himself defeated by the unfortunate chain of events that constituted his day.

There was simply no saving today. 

The agitation crept closer, the decibels of what appeared to be a heated argument rising steadily as it neared the waiting room, and Levi sighed. If there was a God, Levi truly believed He was out to get him. 

Levi lifted his eyes towards the source of the noise to find two figures stepped into the room, one dressed in a lab coat, Levi assumed he was one of the veterinarians working at the clinic, and the other tugging at the leash of a white pitbull with vehemence, clearly displeased by whatever it was the doctor had told him. 

The latter, who couldn’t be much older than twenty-two, was tugging on his dog’s leash, forcing the poor creature to take a couple of steps backwards, and angrily shouting at the veterinarian who was throwing his hands exasperatedly, thick eyebrows furrowed in irritation. Well, at least it seemed that Levi was not the only person having a bad day. His sympathy went to the vet who looked very close to breaking from his professional behavior, rolling his eyes as the pitbull owner went on yet another rant that Levi didn’t bother to listen to because, well, his mind was rather occupied with _other things_ as he took in the lean figure standing by the counter, his arms crossed against his chest. 

There was no way this man worked here. He looked much too young to be working at an animal clinic, first of all. What was he? 23 years old? There was no way they allowed people _this young_ to work as a veterinarian. Levi refused to believe it.

Second of all, this man was much too handsome to be a _doctor_ of all things. Really, the vet had truly missed his call as an Armani model, his smooth golden skin practically radiating with that youthful glow that always seemed to dim with age. (Though it had never graced Levi with its benefits as he always seemed to look as if he had spent the last 5 years of his life in a coffin. Levi cursed under his breath. Even genetics were against him today.) 

The vet passed a hand through short and messy brown hair, clearly aggravated by the other man’s behavior. His hands were slender and well kept, at least from what Levi could tell from such a long distance at, but he had always had an eye for clean hands, and Levi was most definitely _not_ thinking about these hands tangled through _his_ hair. He let out a curse under his breath, before his observations were cut short by a petite woman stepping in between the man and the pet owner, a hand placed firmly on the man’s chest, and he heard his name being called by the unfazed secretary sitting behind the counter.

“Mr. Ackerman!”

As he realized that it was his turn, Levi felt his throat constrict and his hands tighten against the leash. Shit. Now that he had seen who he assumed would be his veterinarian for the day, Levi thought that he really should have put on something nicer than his drool-covered plain sweatpants. He frowned at Sonny, pushing his head out of his lap. This was all that beast’s fault.

He made his way to the woman who appeared to remain completely unshaken by the events taking place a mere foot from her.

“You come for Sonny, right? Did Hanji send you here?” the receptionist inquired cheerfully, smiling up at Levi in a way that was much too genuine to be the rehearsed customer service smile he was accustomed to. What was wrong with people here?

“Yeah,” Levi let out, at loss of what to say. He found himself disturbingly perturbed by the attractive veterinarian standing inches away from him— a faint scent of amber and pine trees hitting Levi’s senses— and it most definitely did not help his articulatory problem.

“I’ll just need some identification, and Sonny’s papers, please! Doctor Jaeger here will take care of you and this little doofus after that,” she beamed as she leaned over the counter to ruffle up Sonny’s fur. Levi could only snort at the fact that this woman had just called Sonny “a _little_ doofus” of all things as he absentmindedly slid the papers onto the counter.

He heard a stifled laugh coming from his right and was met by the sight of Doctor Unfairly Attractive covering his mouth, eyes crinkling at the corner and gradually draining of their previous anger. Levi could only stare, his mouth falling slightly open at the sight.

His eyes were of the most penetrating gray Levi had ever had the chance to see.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh at you.” The man grinned. “So, what did our Sonny do this time?” he teased before ruffling the beast’s head, and Levi never thought he would one day find himself jealous of a dog. 

“I hope it’s not another craft project he swallowed,” Doctor Handsome sighed in mock exasperation, a glint of amusement in his eyes as he rubbed the dog’s ears. Sonny appeared to wholeheartedly appreciate the treatment, practically rubbing himself all over the veterinarian, and Levi couldn’t but show surprise at the dog’s behavior. Weren’t dogs supposed to hate animal clinics?

“I don’t know,” Levi stated plainly, not knowing what else to say. _A craft project?_

The veterinarian let out an amused huff, hand still rubbing Sonny’s head. 

“You’re funny. Are you one of Hanji’s friends?” 

“No,” Levi spat out, a bit too harshly and the doctor blinked up at him. 

He scowled as he broke eye contact with the man, eyes falling to the ground to look at his shoes instead, attempting to regain his composure. He mumbled out a half-hearted apology under his breath, hoping it would settle the matter. Nobody had ever said that Levi was good at social etiquette, and he most certainly didn’t what to be associated with the likes of Hanji.

Fortunately, the other only raised an amused eyebrow at him, a crooked smile tugging at his lips.

“I see,” he drawled out, an ever-present glint of amusement hiding behind vibrant gray, nothing Levi could blurt out succeeding in dimming its brightness. He looked as if Levi was the funniest thing to have ever stepped into the clinic. “So, how about we give Sonny his much deserved check up then, Mr. ‘Not-Hanji’s-Friend’?”

Levi gulped at the man’s words. That tone of voice was dangerous.

“It’s Levi,” he said, averting his eyes.

“Levi, huh?” the man repeated and Levi wondered if it was too early in their relationship for him to want this infuriatingly handsome doctor to say his name again. “I’m Eren,” he added, extending a hand towards Levi who suddenly found himself forgetting everything about the act of shaking hands. 

For how long were they supposed to hold hands? Was he supposed to shake it or simply squeeze it? Were his hands sweaty? Oh God, they were, weren’t they?

He blinked a couple of times at the hand that had been extended towards him for several seconds now— several seconds too long— but had no time to press things further as Sonny started whimpering at his feet. The man, who he now knew went by the name of Eren, instantly switched back to his animal loving persona, scratching behind the beast’s ear and repeating encouraging words to calm him down. 

A mixture of relief and annoyance pooled in Levi’s stomach.

“Don’t give me that again, Sonny. Check-ups aren’t evil, you’ll be all better before you even know it,” Eren said before grabbing Sonny by the collar and leading him towards the corridor gently. “Ever the dramatic one,” the veterinarian laughed, rolling his eyes as he turned around to face Levi.

“Huh, yeah,” Levi let out, unsure of what to respond. 

He barely knew the dog, what was he supposed to say?

His one-worded answer appeared to make the man snort however, and Levi found himself unable to figure out whether he was glad or annoyed by it. Everything he did seemed to amuse the vet, and Levi didn’t know if he found himself relieved that his poor social skills were meant with only smiles and laughter, or aggravated. 

He chose to say nothing else, electing silence as the least embarrassing option for the moment, and let himself be led by the vet who took him towards what he assumed was a vacant examination room, the vet having now grabbed the dog’s leash instead of his collar. 

Levi couldn’t help but hope the appointment would be over shortly. He didn’t know how long he could withstand his painful lack of social skills in front of a man who seemed intent on making his heart leap in involuntarily somersaults. Levi decided that he should probably have paid more attention in that one Communication class Hanji forced him to take with her when they were still college students. 

Eren turned right by the end of the hallway, tugging Sonny along, and making sure to throw Levi one of his many blinding smiles in the process. Levi’s heart skipped a beat, and he groaned at the involuntary reaction. God, he hoped this would be over soon.

“So, what’s wrong with Sonny?” Eren asked, finally releasing his hold on the dog’s collar and directing him towards the centre of the room. Levi’s mind blanked at the question.

Now that he thought about it, what _had_ Hanji said was wrong with Sonny?

“Huh,” Levi let out, already feeling the heat of his embarrassment creeping under his skin. Eren chuckled and raised an amused eyebrow.

“Is ‘huh’ the extent of your vocabulary?”

Levi frowned, a muscle in his jaw twitching. How dare he? Levi knew he wasn’t the best at small talk, and that his social skills were lackluster at best, but there was no need to make fun of his, granted, poor and rather short answers. 

He was about to retort with one of the many colorful insults he reserved for things like this, before shutting his mouth, frowning. Somehow, he found himself not wanting to insult the man, despite his previous mockery of Levi’s “vocabulary”.

“No.” 

“I,” he gulped, his eyes darting to the opposite of the room as if the white wall held all the answers to his questions. “I think it had something to do with scratching?” 

Levi could feel himself wince at the small stutter, but Eren merely appeared thoroughly amused by the sight, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and Levi would have gotten angry at him if it weren’t for the fact that he somehow managed to look unbearably attractive doing it. _Curse today._

“Scratching, you say?” Eren hummed appreciatively, bringing a hand to his mouth in concentration. “Well, from what I’ve seen, he seems to be shaking his head a lot, and he’s a bit out of balance,” he continued his diagnostic as he gently took ahold of Sonny’s left ear. “It’s probably just a benign ear infection,” Eren concluded, gingerly scratching the top of Sonny’s head.

“Nothing serious,” Eren added, flashing Levi a lopsided smile. 

Levi felt his stomach churn, and concluded that if the dog wasn’t experiencing anything serious, Levi sure as hell was. 

“Okay,” he breathed out, at loss of what else to say. 

He had no idea what the protocol was for such visits, whether the diagnosis meant that meant the appointment was over or not, if he was still expected to fill in forms, or, _worse_ , if he was expected to make small talk with the man until he left. The doctor went on with his inspection undisturbed however, and Levi assumed that this meant the appointment was not over.

Levi let out a sigh and couldn’t help the small feeling of relief blooming deep inside his chest. 

Sonny, on the other hand, let out a pitiful whine, his head slouched on the cold metal of the inspection table. It seemed things weren’t looking good for either of them. Levi had no idea what the man standing in front of him had done to make his heart race so fast just from their close proximity— Levi liked to think that he wasn’t the kind of person to let himself be swayed by emotions so easily— but Levi decided that he wanted it to stop. 

Preferably quickly, and without further embarrassment on his part.

 

His wallowing in self-pity was interrupted, however, by the sound of Eren’s voice, boyish yet surprisingly deep, calling out to him. He looked up to find the man still crouched next to Sonny, eyebrows drawn together in concentration as he kept inspecting the dog’s ear, softly rubbing it between two fingers.

“I’m sorry that you had to witness that earlier.” 

Levi frowned in confusion. What he had witnessed earlier?

Oh God, had he missed something during the inspection? Had Eren done something wrong, and he had been too busy thinking about his perfect row of white teeth and messy brown hair to notice? Should he prepare himself to get an earful from Hanji about “leaving her poor baby angel in the hands of a barbarian”? 

He prayed he wouldn’t have to.

“Witness what?”

Eren looked up, a spark of amusement in his eyes and the ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. Levi swallowed hard and hoped he wasn’t blinking too obsessively at the sight, hands clenching in his nervousness. God, that man was a walking safety hazard all by himself. Levi didn’t know who had allowed him to work here. Clearly— if the rapid heartbeat of Levi’s heart and the sweatiness of his palms were any indications— he was severely endangering the lives of all local pet owners.

“The incident with the pitbull owner?” 

_Oh_. The information dawned on Levi as he remembered the earlier events and his face relaxed. _That_. 

Levi vaguely remembered that there had been shouting on the owner’s part, and eye rolls on the vet’s part. He hadn’t registered much of what had actually occurred however as he had been much too busy being distracted by the man’s golden skin and razor sharp jaw. He cleared his throat slightly, a slight blush on his cheeks and shifting from a foot to the other in what he hoped look nonchalant enough, and not at all like Levi could feel his heart pound in his throat. 

“What did he want?” 

“Nothing, really,” Eren sighed, running a hand through _his_ hair. God, did Levi want it running through his hair. “Just another one of those douchebags who get a pitbull to look tough in front of their friends, but have no idea how to actually take care of one,” Eren grunted, his anger obviously renewed at the mere thought of it. 

“Had to break it to him that his dog needed to be treated for the abuse he had been through. He obviously didn’t like that,” Eren snorted, flashing a light inside of Sonny’s ear and leaning closer before moving it around close to the dog’s ear. 

“I have a hard time controlling my temper around people like him,” he finished, putting the flashlight down back on the examination tray. “I’m sorry you had to witness that though,” he added, sending a faint apologetic smile his way, putting the dog’s ear down, his inspection of it coming to an end. 

In all honestly, Levi had never really cared much about pitbulls, or any kind of dog honestly, he simply didn’t find animals all that appealing, but if the pitbull owner’s looks were anything to go by, Levi could already tell that he fit the kind of pretentious asshole image that Eren described him as. And the dog _did_ look in bad shape. 

Still, Levi remained without a clue as to what to tell the man after such a lengthy apology, and it was in these kind of moments that Levi regretted never giving a damn about pets further than by showing each other mutual respect in the form of staying as far away from each other as they could. 

Maybe he should have adopted that iguana back when he was 7 years old.

“That sucks,” he answered, his expression as deadpan as ever. 

He cursed himself inwardly for not coming up with something better, but this was the best answer he had come up with to Eren’s apology in the short five seconds span he had been given to think it over. Levi had never been good at comforting people who were upset— especially when they were so expressively angry about it.

It did not seem to deflate Eren’s mood however as he simply went on talking about the issue, rubbing the bridge of his nose and sighing heavily.

“It does. You don’t want to know how many abused pets are brought into this clinic every day, let alone _abandoned_ ones. It angers me,” Eren added before gently patting Sonny’s head and giving his chest a rub. 

“Though I can tell Sonny is being well taken care of!” He smiled, ruffling the beast’s fur heartily, Sonny wagging his tail and panting contentedly, probably happy that the inspection was finally past him. Levi found he couldn’t really share his enthusiasm.

He wondered if it was too late to pretend the dog was actually his, and not Hanji’s, and if that would gain him the vet’s favors. 

“As I thought, it’s just a benign ear infection. I’ll prescribe him some antibiotics and a cleanser, and write you down the instructions for you to give to Hanji when you see her,” Eren concluded, flashing him yet another one of his radiant smile, and if Levi’s expression betrayed nothing of how he felt, his heartbeat certainly gave him away. He hoped Eren couldn’t hear it from where he was standing.

“Okay,” Levi breathed out before breaking eye contact with the man, the tip of his ears turning a light pink.

Eren helped Sonny back up and ruffled his head, throwing a couple of “good boy” and “see it wasn’t too bad” here and there. Sonny only shook his head vigorously, ears flapping back and forth. Levi frowned. Of course this dumb beast would flap his ears around as if this was a fun merry-go-round ride, even while having just been diagnosed with an ear infection. He rolled his eyes. He would never understand animals.

As Eren passed him the leash for Sonny and their fingers brushed, Levi found he couldn’t allow himself to just leave like this. Granted, this was not how he had envisioned he would spend his day off, and his social skills were, granted, non-existent— especially in the face of this injustice of a man— but he felt that he couldn’t let the man go just yet. He needed to say something, anything. 

For what reason, Levi didn’t know— didn’t want to know, really— but he felt as if he needed to know more about the veterinarian.

Levi stared blankly as Eren darted out of the door, throwing a simple “Follow me to the counter, we’ll get all the boring paperwork done there!”, Sonny eagerly following him all the way there. Levi could only dumbly follow the man, bringing his hand to his mouth pensively, and mulling over what he should say next. 

 

What did veterinarians even want to hear about? Canine dental hygiene? 

They reached the counter, the same brown-haired secretary beaming up at him. She energetically passed Eren some papers to fill and a pen who then turned towards to Levi, papers in hand and a professional smile on his face.

“Okay here are your-” 

“How often should someone brush their dog’s teeth?” 

Eren blinked up owlishly at him, obviously startled at Levi’s sudden outburst, while the secretary’s eyes glinted with amusement and she looked up towards the two, her screen flashing with a game of Tetris. Levi gulped. He could feel his hands growing clammy against his sweatpants. 

What had he been thinking, blurting out something so stupid? Of course, even vets didn’t want to discuss canine dental hygiene in a friendly conversation. Why had he even said that? He frowned, boring holes into the tiled floor. This was ridiculous.

“Um, well, daily would be best,” Eren answered, a little breathlessly, the sound making Levi’s heart jump up his throat, and the vet remained like that, staring at Levi as if he had grown a second head for a couple of seconds, before suddenly throwing his upper body over the counter with renewed energy, throwing his arms around frantically as if looking for something.

It was Levi’s turn to blink at the other man in confusion. What the _fuck_ was he doing?

He got his answer when the vet reappeared from his little over-the-counter adventure, several types of brushes in his hands. 

“Actually, I’m glad you mention it— that’s really very considerate on your part, really— We have several here at the clinic!” He rambled on excitedly, waving the brushes around, and Levi didn’t know what else to do than stare blankly at him.

“Not that Sonny particularly needs any, of course! He seems pretty healthy on that level,” Eren continued, making small round hand gestures, and nodding to himself. “Though I have to warn you that, even if they’re brushes bought from the clinic, the brushing does most of the work, really, so don’t rely just on the fact that it’s a brush bought from the clinic!” 

Levi couldn’t quite take in the scene happening in front of him. 

Was the man actually enjoying a conversation about _canine dental hygiene_? 

The secretary giggled from behind her counter, and Levi could see her typing something on her phone so rapidly he could barely make out what the message could possibly contain. Eren seemed to be completely oblivious to his employee’s misconduct though as he continued ranting about dog teeth and flossing. 

“I would recommend setting up a routine to make it easier on the dog and all, you know. Late in the evening is a good time! Also treats! It always works wonders on dogs,” he chuckled before scratching the top of Sonny’s head, the latter lazily closing his eyes in bliss at the recurrent scratches and caresses he was being treated to. Certainly more than Levi had given him previously.

Levi didn’t know what was hardest to believe. The fact that he had actually succeeded at making small talk with the man, or the fact that he appeared to be _very_ enthusiastic about the subject of canine hygiene. 

So enthusiastic that he seemed to hardly noticing his secretary giggling behind him or the next patient coming up to the counter, ranting on and on about the underrated importance of hygiene.

If Levi believed in love at first sight; he was certain that it would be what he was feeling right now.

“Anyway, I don’t mean to keep you waiting with my boring rant about dental hygiene,” he laughed nervously, a light blush blooming on his tan skin and scratching his cheek, and Levi wanted to tell him that he could talk to him about flossing until his bones grew old if he was going to look and sound this excited about it, “but I can give you a toothbrush for Sonny! Which color is your favorite?” 

Levi blinked out of his daze at the question, eyes darting to the toothbrushes Eren was putting on display before him. His mind blanked. Levi didn’t have a favorite color. Never had one really, and had never felt the need to have one until today. 

He scanned the different colors of toothbrushes in front of him for a couple of seconds, before deciding to go with the first toothbrush to catch his attention.

“Blue.” 

“My favorite too!” Eren exclaimed, holding out the blue toothbrush that Levi absentmindedly grabbed, too entranced by the sheer energy and light coming out of the man in front of him.

Levi decided blue was his new favorite color. 

“Here is the prescription for some antibiotics. Store it in the refrigerator and put 5-15 drops into his ear twice a day.” Eren turned to grab a couple more sheets of papers that he promptly handed to Levi with a pat. “I wrote down all the instructions for Hanji to look over. She made sure to pay in advance for the visit which makes you,” he added a sheet to the pile,” a free man, I guess!” the vet finished cheerfully, flashing him yet another one of his ridiculously bright smiles.

“Yeah,” he replied, a little out of breath. “I guess.” 

Levi secured his hold on the papers Eren had given him, and stored them away in the pocket of his coat. He reattached the leash to the beast’s collar who only let out a sigh and dragged his feet lazily towards Levi at the action. He tried not to grimace at the sight. How was this dog so incredibly passive to everything with Hanji as his owner? 

“Have a nice weekend, Levi!” the veterinarian beamed and Levi felt his chest constrict at the sound of his name. Oh God, he truly _was_ dying.

He let out a slightly breathless “yeah” as he tugged the dog towards the dog, trying to block out the erratic beating of his heart inside his ribcage. 

He tried not to turn back as he pushed the glass doors on his way out. 

———

Of course, Hanji, being her usual insufferable self, had to make it the talk of the evening after Levi brought Sonny back home safe and sound. 

“What do you mean you didn’t try to get his number?!” Hanji whined, her hands thrown in the air in a dramatic gesture. Levi groaned with a roll of his eyes. Hanji always had to make everything look like a tragedy.

“I had just met the man, Hanji. At the animal clinic. Getting your lousy dog’s ear checked.” 

“So?” Hanji inquired as if what Levi’s objection held no weight whatsoever against her argument that he should have gotten his number, her body leaning forward and hands thrown to the size for emphasis. She always did this and Levi groaned, rolling his eyes.

“So, it’s _gross_. He was probably just being friendly.” 

“Nonsense!” Levi let his head fall back on the couch with a sigh. 

There she went again. Throwing her hands in the air dramatically. Levi didn’t understand why she couldn’t just let it go. He hadn’t even meant to let anything about Eren slip out, figuring Hanji would get much too excited for her own good about it, but no sooner had Levi stepped a foot inside her apartment that Hanji had started firing question after question about his “dazed look” — something that Levi had strongly objected against having— and Levi had had to relent after shoving Hanji backwards with a hand to her face. 

“What will I ever do with you, Levi!”

Levi grunted and let Hanji continue her rant about how “he should have” and “what if” that Levi truly couldn’t care less about. 

He reached into his pocket and took out the blue toothbrush whose existence he had hidden from Hanji, and despite thinking that it was truly pathetic to hold onto a dog toothbrush, Levi couldn’t bring himself to give it to Hanji. She could get her own blue toothbrush.

He heard a loud snore coming from the beast currently drooling on the carpet in his deep sleep, and he wondered if animal poisoning was a valid reason to go pay the animal clinic a visit.

———

Levi didn’t end up going through with his plan to poison the dog. But as he stared at the small cat from his position on the _very much public_ and _very much filthy_ trash can, he wondered if maybe he could go back on his word— Hanji’s protests or not.

Tailing people’s lost pets hadn’t exactly been his ideal option. It had been more of an option that had been thrown at him by fate more than anything else. Hanji had been very adamant on the fact that Levi was not allowed to mildly poison Sonny— even if Levi had assured her that he had no intention to kill the beast, only inconvenience him enough that he would need a visit at the clinic— in order to see the veterinarian one more time. 

She had insisted that it was _unethical_. 

Levi looked down at the trash piled up at his feet, which had no doubt festered here for weeks, with a frown, and decided that _this_ was unethical. 

It had been when he was walking back from work and mulling over his options, three months ago that he had come across a way to visit Eren again. 

That day, he had heard the smallest of meows from a back alley. He had first thought better to ignore it as he usually did, but remembered what Eren had said during his previous visit at the small noise of distress. Hadn’t he been angry at the fact that people abandoned pets in the streets? 

He turned his head towards the shivering ball of gray fur, inspecting his tangled and mud-covered coat for a few minutes, before picking it up in his arms. He had a new plan to visit Eren again.

\----

And as it turned out, Eren loved receiving abandoned pets to care for almost as much as he hated seeing them alone in the streets. 

Levi tried to breathe in and out slowly in an attempt to calm his nerves. 

_He could do this._

“He’s adorable!” the man exclaimed, the kitten having already taken to climbing the vet’s clothed arm. “Where did you find the poor guy?” 

“A back alley somewhere,” Levi answered. “I heard him on my home from work, and after remembering what you said last week, I thought it would be best to bring him here.” 

Eren beamed at him, one hand holding the small animal and the other scratching his cheek. 

“Well, that was very thoughtful of you!” 

Levi felt a small hint of pride swell within his chest. Yes. Very thoughtful. Absolutely deserving of a date.

Maybe.

“It was no problem,” Levi mumbled, averting his eyes and, shit, was he blushing? 

A curse left his lips as he felt the now all too familiar heat spread across his face. Eren turned towards him, kitten pressed to his chest and head innocently cocked to the side in a questioning look. Oh God, were his hands sweating? They were sweating, weren’t they?

Levi definitely wasn’t made for these kind of things. He couldn’t remember why he had thought that this would be a good idea.

“Levi?” 

Shit. _Shit._ There was no way, he could do this. He was fooling himself into believing he had the guts to ask the man out. 

Eren was blinking at him in confusion, soft and messy bangs falling in front of his eyes, the small kitten playing with the hem of his lab coat as if he had a always known the vet. It was too cute, and Levi wasn’t prepared for this. He finally understood why Petra watched so many of these supposedly “adorable” cat videos. 

The sight was too much bear. 

“I-I gotta go,” he blurted out, spinning on his heels harshly and making a dash towards the exit doors. 

He only had the time to hear Eren’s confused “Have a good day, Levi!” before the glass doors fell shut behind him.

———

The second time he brought in an old and injured beagle. 

He had had to pay a couple of fees to get the animal’s wounds treated that he had paid promptly. This time, Levi had planned the perfect lines to sweep Eren off his feet, and— hopefully— take him out on a date. He swallowed, eyes looking up at the man, seizing the brief moment of bravery growing inside of his chest to finally get the words out. He stumbled on his words only a couple of times and after, taking a deep breath, he resolved himself to ask Eren out today. He could do this.

The moment he opened his mouth to speak the words however, he was cut off by the sound of Eren’s voice excitedly telling him that the dog matched the description of a recently lost pet, and that he had most certainly saved the family a great deal of pain by bringing him here today, his bright so sincere that Levi felt himself squint and gulp. 

There was no hint of malice or falsehood behind his smile. Only pure gratitude.

Levi choked on his own spit and almost made the wallet he had been previously holding in his hands fall, juggling it awkwardly before gracelessly rushing towards the exit doors again with a jumbled and breathless “goodbye”. 

Next time would be the right time.

——— 

The third time, Levi thought about looking up lost pet posters and ended up bringing into the clinic a tabby cat named “Cod”. Levi thought it was the most ridiculous name to have ever been given to a pet, but Eren seemed to think it was cute, so he hadn’t said anything, the smile on his face as he had said it too brilliant for Levi to ruin. 

He was about to ask Eren out to see a movie he had spent hours hand picking yesterday night, scrolling through dozens and dozens of obscure titles Levi had never heard of before, when Eren decided that giving the cat a tacky bright blue fish collar that he had apparently had stored since April Fools and lifting her proudly for Levi to see, was a good idea. 

Levi ended up spluttering and storming off, heart racing in his chest and blood rushing to his cheeks, but no without running head first against the glass doors on his way out.

Next time would be the right time.

———

The fourth time, Levi brought in a Jack Russell going by the name of Mickey. He had found him near an elementary school, and brought all the way here— even going as far as petting the mutt in his enthusiasm— confident that this time would be the right one. He had rehearsed what to do and what to say. He wouldn’t let himself be affected by Eren’s blinding smiles or vibrant gray eyes. 

This time, Levi would ask him out.

He had come into the clinic with Mickey safely tucked in his arms, his steps confident. He handed the dog to Eren who was standing by the counter. The latter flashed him a bright smile and an enthusiastic “thank you!” and Levi managed to keep his pulsing heart under control. 

He could do this. 

Eren picked up the dog against his chest, encouraging words pouring out of his lips as he scratched the patch behind the dog’s right ear and Levi opened his mouth, confident that this time he would be able to ask the man out, only to be cut off by Eren who stepped closer and dropped Mickey in his arms with a small laugh.

“I think he likes you!” he exclaimed, and Levi could feel the brush of Eren’s fingers against his collarbones as he scratched the dog’s ear brush, and the smell of pine trees and cinnamon so close to his face, his senses overwhelmed by the sudden proximity.

Levi felt the blood rushing to his cheeks, his ears ringing, before shoving the dog back in Eren’s arms and practically leaping towards the exit. 

———

“You know, there are only so many lost pets in this very boring and very average city,” Hanji had remarked one day as they watched House of Cards on Petra and her’s couch, stealing a chip from the bowl situated on his lap. 

Levi only grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

“I plan on asking him out before I have caught all the current 57 lost pets in town, _thank you very much_ ,” he scoffed, taking another gulp of the wine that Hanji, Petra and him had been drinking dejectedly, slouched on the couple’s worn out brown couch. 

The previous attempts might have been a failure, but Levi was certain he would not let himself fall to such a pathetic end.

He would definitely take Eren on a date before that. 

\----

Levi groaned from his dumpster. That stupid black cat was the last lost pet. 

He had looked everywhere. Scanned every poster in this city. Asked every shelter, sacrificing some of his pride in the process, only to be shut down and finding the same answer awaiting him no matter where he asked.

There were simply no more lost pets.

Levi sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. There had to be more. This couldn’t be the last lost pet in this entire town. There had to be other ones. Others he could bring into the clinic as an excuse to talk to Eren. Levi wouldn’t— couldn’t— believe that he had wasted so many opportunities to ask the man out that he had come to _run out_ of lost pets.

He heard a sound on his right and turned to see the small cat make his way back to the main street, his source of his food being left abandoned behind him after his meal of the day. Levi mumbled curses under his breath. _About time._ Levi didn’t know how much longer he could stand taking office on a public dumpster.

The stray cat strolled back out of the alley and Levi waited for his opportunity to strike, jacket firmly held in both hands. He had done it enough times by now to have become an expert at catching stray animals. Especially young kittens like this one. 

So when the pet finally passed in front of him, Levi let his jacket fall on top of the animal— albeit ungracefully— ears now accustomed to the enraged outcries that followed their capture as he plopped down from his position to pick up the trapped beast. He ignored the thrashing and the outraged cries in his arms, making sure to refrain from the little devil from scratching him as he made his way back to the street. 

He would need at least 7 showers after this. 

———

Seven empty bottles of hand sanitizer later, Levi was back at the clinic, the little black demon he had decided to nickname Lucifer gnawing at the sleeve of his jacket.

“You’re back!” Eren smiled and Levi tried not to blink too hard at the sight. “And with another pet too!” 

The vet took to scratching the animal from his place in Levi’s arms as he usually did, and he focused to the best ability on not letting it overwhelm him again. He gulped. This time he would most definitely succeed.

“You’ve become quite the pet rescuer, haven’t you?” Eren laughed and Levi’s eyes squinted up to meet Eren’s which were peering up at him innocently, shooting Levi a small smile.

He promptly looked up again, realizing his mistake. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. This was okay. He was okay. All he needed to do was ask Eren out. 

“You could say so,” Levi answered in slow syllables, trying his best not to stumble on his words, now shamefully used to the familiar heat burning up the tip of his ears. He took a shaky breath. “Eren, I—” 

“Dr.Jaeger, you’re needed in room five!”

“Ah— Right away, Historia!” 

Levi deflated a little, holding in his complaints at being so rudely interrupted. 

“Sorry, Levi, I need to go! Would you mind holding onto that little guy for me? It shouldn’t be too long!” 

Levi nodded curtly, trying to not let the disappointment show on his expression, before watching Eren dash off towards the examination rooms. He sighed as he sat himself down on one of the hideous purple plastic chairs, kitten still clawing at his arm in order to break free, his rowdiness left undefeated by the scowls Levi sent his way. He mumbled a curse under his breath as his fists clenched over the material of his jeans.

Levi refused to let his failed attempt— his 58th attempt— deter him from trying to ask the man out again. After all, he had asked him to wait for his return here himself. He would definitely see him again and this time he would find the courage to ask the man out on a date with him.

 _He could do this_ , he thought, taking a sharp intake of breath. 

Levi felt an amused stare on him and looked up to find himself locking eyes with the secretary who appeared to find great joy in the spectacle Levi was making of himself. 

He scowled. He had noticed the woman— her name tag read ‘Sasha Braus’— often eyeing him whenever he came into the room, seeming to find much more amusement in it than a regular secretary probably should. The latter only smirked at Levi’s defensive glare before returning to her computer game. 

_Weird._

Levi was dragged out of his thoughts however by Eren’s reappearance into the waiting room. The man made a beeline for where Levi was sitting after depositing some papers on the secretary’s desk, an apologetic look on his face.

“I hope I didn’t make you wait too long!” 

He reached Levi’s seat with long steps and bent down to scratch the kitten’s head on Levi’s lap, his face dangerously close to Levi’s and Levi could only hope that he hadn’t heard him gulp at the fact, eyes flickering between Eren’s cast down ones. He felt his face heat up again, but willed himself to keep it under control. He couldn’t mess this one up. 

This was his last chance.

“It’s okay,” he let out in a slightly shaky breath, never letting Eren out of his line of sight. 

Eren’s eyes moved up to meet Levi’s eyes and, seemingly becoming aware of how close their faces were, the man promptly straightened up his back, eyes cast to the side and hand covering his mouth. He cleared his throat, and Levi felt his heart stutter at the sight of a small blush blossoming on the man’s cheeks.

Eren seemed to try and recollect himself with a frown and a cough, bending down to pick up Lucifer from Levi’s lap, a faint dusting of pink still coloring his cheeks. 

“W-Well, I’ll be off with Skittles then,” he mumbled, words coming out in a jumble as he pressed the animal close to his chest. “I’ll see you soon!” he exclaimed, a bit too loudly, before darting out of the room and leaving a confused Levi sitting on his cold plastic chair behind.

Levi barely even had the time to register that his 58th attempt at asking out Eren Jaeger had just been thwarted _again_ before he heard a snort coming from behind the counter. He whipped his head around to find the secretary trying to hide a poorly concealed giggle from behind the walls of her cubicle as she stared at Levi’s dejected form, kittenless and dateless.

He glared daggers at her.

———

Levi had tried to find a way to see Eren again. He really had. 

He had even taken to asking people personally if they had reported or come across any stray animals, calling animal shelters and knocking on his neighbors’ doors who were shocked to find out that Levi existed after years of avoiding them like the plague. But none of his attempts had been successful.

Levi Ackerman had simply found every single lost pet or stray animal of his city. 

It did not help that he now had grateful families practically weeping tears of joys all over his spotless and ironed dress shirts when he was doing grocery shopping, moaning about how _great_ of a person Levi was and how _grateful_ they were that he had brought their Captain Pancake back home safely. He couldn’t even buy detergent in peace these past few weeks without having to deal with at least one middle-aged wife crying out how honorable of a person Levi was, and how more people ought to be more like him in this day and age. 

It had come to the point where Levi almost considered sending Petra and Hanji to get his mail just to save himself from running into yet another family who he had apparently helped reunite with their lost demonic pet whose face or name he could not remember for the life of him.

Levi had unwillingly become the city’s local hero.

“If they only knew that you did it all to score a date with the local veterinarian and didn’t even end up succeeding at that,” Hanji laughed during one of their regular movie nights as she grabbed popcorn from Levi’s bowl. “How disappointed do you think they would all be?” 

“‘Local pet hero did it all to get laid’,” she announced dramatically, throwing a hand in front of herself as if she was a reporter exposing the headlines of the latest scandal. “And failed at doing so which, really, is the saddest part of this story if you ask me.”

Levi dumped the content of the popcorn bowl over her head.

———

He kept on looking for lost pets, his determination not yet deterred by his previous failures. He refused to admit defeat. There had to be some other pets roaming around the city. A city didn’t simply run out of lost pets and strays. 

Levi scrolled down the web, looking up pages after pages in the hope of finding a single ray of hope, a Mittens who had run away from home three days ago, or a Clifford who hadn’t been seen for a week. Anything.

But no matter how much research Levi did, the only fruitful results he ended up with were lost pets miles away from their town. Levi groaned, rubbing the heel of his palms against the sides of his head after spending hours looking at the bright screen of his laptop.

He heard the sound of the door opening and steps coming closer.

“You know, you could also just walk into the clinic and ask him out,” Petra suggested as she put down Levi’s steaming cup of tea next to his computer.

 _If only it were that easy_ , Levi thought with a growl. 

———

Somewhere between the hundredth “I’m sorry, I haven’t heard of any lost pet cases” and seventieth “There are no pets matching your description”, Levi found himself positively giving up, and admitting to his defeat.

He had looked everywhere for weeks on end, scrutinizing every poster and calling every animal shelter. There were just no more lost or stray animals in his city. He had found them all. 

As he looked down on Sonny, who Hanji had forced him to walk for the afternoon, Levi seriously started reconsidering his initial plan of poisoning the beast, ethicality be damned. At the sight of the massive dog barking at a fallen leaf though, Levi thought he wouldn’t even be able to do it even if he had Hanji’s consent. Somewhere along the line, Levi had started to care for these little fur monsters full of diseases and fleas. 

In fact, somewhere along the line, Levi had found himself unable to look at an animal without thinking of Eren’s stupidly bright smile or horrible jokes. 

If he ran into a gray cat, he would remember the time Eren had told him he had named his first cat Gandalf because he was a large gray cat with shaggy fur, and Eren liked the Lord of the Rings too much when he was 12. 

If he saw a Great Dane, he would think of how Eren once told him with overly excited hand gestures that he had had the pleasure to witness one of these two feet and a half tall majestic creatures trip on their own feet and smack against the bay window once, its body and mind hazed and slowed down from the medications. 

_This was just plain ridiculous_ , Levi thought as he kicked a twig lying in front of him with his foot. People didn’t feel this way about their crushes. Levi was just being stupid. He would just have to forget all about it and move on. Get on with his life.

Levi groaned at the thought before feeling a tug on the leash holding Sonny. When he turned towards the pet, he found him trying to run excitedly towards some foreign object behind them. Levi rolled his eyes, tugging against the leash again. This was the twentieth time Sonny stopped just because he thought he had heard a squirrel.

He tried to tug the leash, more harshly this time, but there was only so much Levi could do against the 220 pounds beast who seemed intent on contradicting Levi’s intentions to move forward and get this walk over with.

“What is it, shithead? I’ve got things to do, you know. I can’t just go back on our tracks every time you see the ghost of a squirrel. Not everything revolves around you and your need to shit in public pla—” 

“Levi?” 

He froze. 

He would recognize that voice anywhere.

“Eren,” Levi breathed out, flat tone and expression betraying nothing of his current emotional state as he turned around to see Eren standing behind him. This couldn’t be happening.

He felt the smallest flutter of happiness stir inside his ribcage at the sight of Eren’s disheveled and flushed form standing in the middle of the road, looking at Levi with wide eyes.

He tried to quiet it down.

Eren was standing in front of him, leash in one hand and the other safely tucked inside his right pocket. If Eren’s youthful traits and complexion weren’t already enough to make the man look as though he bathed into the fountain of youth every morning, Levi found that he also had to dress like a complete teenager, innocently parading around in ripped black jeans and a band shirt, a plaid shirt tied around his hips to top it all off. It was a drastic change from his usually professional and classy lad coats and dress shirts.

And as he looked down the leash Eren was holding in his hand, Levi couldn’t believe Eren owned a _chihuahua_ of all dogs.

A nervous cough made him look up from the frail trembling creature who looked just about ready to pounce on Sonny, and he was met with the sight of Eren scratching his cheek, staring intently at some unknown spot on the ground, and cheeks slightly reddening at what Levi hoped was nervousness and not the hot air of July. 

“So, huh,” Eren coughed a little, and Levi would have laughed at the irony had he not been too busy trying to control the rapidly escalating rate of his heart. “I haven’t seen you at the clinic in a while.” 

Eren’s eyes finally locked with his again at these words, a glint of uncertainty to them as they searched Levi’s own for an answer. Levi gulped and he felt his heart miss a beat.

“Yeah,” Levi replied dumbly, thoughts clouded by the sight of the man in front of him. Meeting Eren at the dog park was the last thing he expected to happen to him today, and Levi cursed himself at the thought. Of course Eren would be found in places like dog parks, he was a _veterinarian_ for God’s sake. 

Levi frowned at the ground, clearing his throat and attempting to come back to his back to his senses. At least partly. 

“There aren’t any more lost pets.” 

“I see,” Eren answered, breaking eye contact by dropping his eyes to the ground again, nervousness painted all over his dejected expression. God, Levi wanted to kiss him. 

He seemed to be looking for something on the ground, frowning deeply at it, his gaze perturbed but unwavering, when he finally snapped his head back up with a smile, all traces of his earlier frown disappearing. 

“I heard you were quite the popular figure around town! I hear new tales of you finding a family’s lost pet almost once every two days,” he joked, expression almost shy as his eyes shifted between Levi’s face and the ground too rapidly to match the relaxed front he put up.

Levi heard himself groan at these words before he could even stop the sound from coming out of his mouth however. He tensed when Eren’s bewildered expression made him realized what had just come out of Levi’s mouth. 

Shit. Eren probably thought Levi was annoyed at him now.

“I mean,” he stuttered, dropping his eyes and avoiding Eren’s gaze, “It’s just that I—” Shit, what had he wanted to say again? Levi couldn’t remember anything he had ever wanted to tell Eren over the course of these past few months, everything coming back in a jumble to confuse him. 

“I just—” he fumbled with words, frowning at a random spot on the ground with what probably looked like a murderous expression. 

_It was probably not helping_ , Levi thought with a growl. 

“It’s just that it gets annoying to have middle-aged woman cry on your shoulder about how grateful they are that you bought their precious Taco Bell back home safe and sound after a while.” 

Eren’s smile dropped and his eyes widened in what Levi was horrified to find was mortification, and his shoulders tensed up. What was it about his words that had garnered this kind of reaction? Had he used the wrong words? He could feel his stomach tie up in knots.

Levi felt sick.

“I’m sorry, you’re right! You’ve probably been hearing that a lot already, I didn’t mean to bother you…” Levi scowled. How had this man even come to this far-fetched conclusion? “I’ll just be on my way then, I had things to do anyway—” 

“No,” Levi all but barked, wincing at his tone of voice not even a second later. _Good job, Levi. Very smooth._

“This isn’t—” he tried again, scowling and tightening his hold on the leash as if the action would somehow trigger the right words out of his mouth. 

He lifted his eyes to meet Eren’s, and the sight of Eren’s startled and apprehensive made him lose all desire to find worthwhile excuses to his behavior. God, he felt like such an asshole. He had been the one to place that apprehension in his usually so bright and alert eyes.

He let out a deep sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. There was simply no use. He might as well just come out with the truth, the uneasy look that Eren was sending his way making Levi’s insides twist uncomfortably. He hadn’t meant to put that expression there. 

He wanted it to go away and see Eren smile brilliantly again in the way he always did, all dimples and scrunched up nose.

“I don’t like animals,” he admitted with a resolute sigh, his posture finally relaxing as he let his shoulders drop. It felt like a weight lifted off his shoulders. “They’re filthy more often than not, and always carry all sorts of diseases that I don’t want anywhere near me. They smell too. Why do they always smell?” Levi rambled on as Eren shot him mildly concerned looks. He couldn’t stop there though. He had to continue. 

He was tired of months of careful crafting and rehearsed confessions that always ended up failing anyway.

“I had never even thought about pet rescuing before—“ Levi coughed, averting his eyes with a blush. “Before all—“

“I meant... This is all just… weird,” he admitted, eyes remaining cast to the side. He mulled over what to say next. He had spent months beating around the bush, carefully planning and rehearsing, so much that Levi found himself at a loss of what to say. 

He gulped. 

“What I’ve been meaning to say,” Levi continued, fumbling with the end of the leash. “What I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while now is— Shit. I just— I really li—” 

Levi really should have anticipated it, what with the way he hadn’t been paying any attention to the dumb brute’s antics for the past couple of minutes, putting all of his focus on Eren instead. And if he hadn’t been distracted by the fact that the object of all his affections was standing right in front of him, Levi would probably have been able to prevent the following events from happening.

But, unfortunately, Levi had been very much distracted, and subsequently completely and utterly failed to stop a very determined Sonny from charging at the barking and shivering form of Eren’s dog, chasing the pet right into the pond behind them and bringing Levi and Eren right into their fall.

One thing was for sure, if Levi wasn’t about to poison the beast before, he sure as hell was going to now.

He could feel the dirty water fill up his shoes and his clothes start to stick to his skin. Levi couldn’t help up the shiver of disgust that ran through him. He tried to peel the fabric off his skin to no avail. _Disgusting._

He scowled, preparing himself to stand up and apologize for his shithead of a dog— maybe run away and disappear off the other’s sight forever while he was at it— when the deep sound of Eren’s laughter reached his ears, and Levi found himself lost for words. He only stared blankly at Eren’s sitting form, the latter leaning on his arms and submerged deep into the water of the pond.

It started gradually. First with a snort, the anticipation of a laugh slowly bubbling up his throat, then with a full-blown laugh, the sound hoarse and youthful all at once, and Eren had to stop every couple of seconds to regain his breath. His eyes were crinkling up at the corners, his lips split so wide Levi could see the most part of Eren’s teeth, brilliant white and perfectly aligned. 

The display was so unadulterated and genuine, Eren’s eyes shining brighter than they ever did before, that Levi felt a pang in his chest.

“I’m sorry,” Eren snickered, reaching out to remove a wet leaf stuck to Levi’s shirt, and Levi couldn’t look away from the man’s face. “I shouldn’t be laughing, I’m sorry, it’s just that I—” He couldn’t finish his sentence however as another bout of laughter rose up his throat and bursted into a sharp release of air, eyes looking up at Levi and still shining with the same unfiltered delight. “This is such a ridiculous situation, I couldn’t help myself.” 

He was beautiful.

He was beautiful, and Levi found himself incapable of doing anything other than grabbing Eren by the collar, wrinkling his Misfits shirt in the process, and pressing his lips against the other’s in a much awaited kiss, his mind finally quiet as the remnants of Eren’s laugh vibrated on his mouth, the contact rendering Levi momentarily breathless.

He let out a short shaky breath against the warmth of Eren’s lips, the feeling all at once overwhelming and not enough, before pressing back again with strengthened resolve. He could feel his lips already warming up against Eren, who remained warm against Levi’s freezing body, even after being thrown into the cold water of the pond. 

Levi didn’t think there was anything that could ever turn the man cold, really.

Eren tasted like sunlight in spring, and warmth pooled inside Levi’s stomach. He attempted to commit every detail to memory, the surprising softness of his lips, how their full roundness somehow fitted perfectly against Levi’s own thin ones, or the way Levi could feel the warmth of them spread all the way to his toes, before finally breaking free from his lips, his eyes still hooded as he backed away from his face.

His hands were still gripping at the front of his shirt, refusing to let the man go just yet, as he looked up to meet Eren’s eyes, expression filled with a newfound determination. Eren merely blinked down at him in shock, eyes darting from his eyes to his mouth rapidly, as he attempted to make sense of what had just happened. He had spent too long yearning— longing for this— and if his previous 58th failed attempt had taught him anything, it was that thinking things through was not Levi’s forte.

He was about to say something, maybe finally confess and tell him he was the only reason why he brought him stray kittens from all across town was to see him smile at him, when he felt strong hands on each side of his head pulling him down until their lips met again, the action sending jolts down Levi’s spine. He closed his eyes, abandoning whatever it was he had planned on saying to lose himself to the new— and he hoped soon to be familiar— sensation. 

And if Levi earlier thought the feeling of his lips pressed against Eren’s to be electrifying, it was nothing compared to the feeling of Eren’s lips moving against his own, his hands tangling in Levi’s hair, and his body pressed closed against his. All Levi could feel was Eren and Levi decided that this was all he ever wanted to feel.

Eren ran his thumbs against Levi’s jaw, rendering the man momentarily defenseless to his ministrations, his lips pressing slowly and softly against Levi’s pliant ones. Once. Twice. And having Eren so close— finally so close— made Levi’s toes curl in his water-filled shoes.

Eren’s hands moved up to frame his face, pulling his face impossibly closer, as if he had been waiting for this to happen for just as long as Levi did, and Levi answered by gripping the fabric of Eren’s t-shirt even tighter, pressing back to deepen the kiss, their bodies molding into each other.

It was only after a series of soft kisses and presses of lips, that Eren finally backed away, his face remaining only a mere inches apart, blinking slowly down at him. When Levi looked into Eren’s eyes, his breath stuttered to find what was not apprehension, but hope and— even— happiness. 

Levi felt his heart pound against his ribcage. 

He let out a trembling breath, butterflies spreading all the way from his stomach to his chest and threatening to spill over if Levi were to open his mouth. The cold water against his legs and the faint taste of Eren’s lipbalm lingering on his own the only things reminding Levi that this wasn’t some wild dream his mind had carefully crafted while he was soundly asleep on the keyboard of his computer, a page open on the local animal shelter’s website page. 

The small embarrassed coughs and looks from passersby jolted Levi out of his contemplation however, and he took a few steps away from Eren, still sinking in the pond water, the tip of his ears blushing crimson and his gaze falling down to their entangled limbs.

“I…” he started, mind still processing that Eren had kissed him back. That Eren looked happy about it. 

His eyes lifted to meet Eren’s gaze once more and his nervousness was overpowered by the confidence by what he found there. Eren had _kissed_ him. Eren was _happy_ about it.

“I didn’t really come for the animals,” Levi whispered. A confession shared in the close proximity of their lips, their breaths steadily coming together as one. 

“I should be mad about that.”

“You should.” 

“It’s very unbecoming of the new neighborhood hero.” 

“It is.” 

Eren scoffed at Levi’s unabashed confession, eyes crinkling at the corners. A smile dawned on his expression, brighter than all the ones he had shown him before and that had made Levi fall so terribly for the man. It was slow and content, full of white teeth and dimples. 

And as Eren grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him closer— slowly, surely— to reunite their mouths together, more teeth than lips as Eren made no effort to stop the smile growing into their kiss, Levi decided that this smile was Levi’s favorite one by far.

**Author's Note:**

> veterinarian eren, pining levi and the 101 Dalmatians are my three main sources of energy
> 
> and a special shout out to chiara (["Hazelnut-Nala"](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazelnut_Nala/pseuds/Hazelnut_Nala) on AO3, and her cat 'Morue' (which is French for 'cod) who i implanted in the fic, bless your cat, and sophie who helped beta this fic! you two are the best and i love you 
> 
> and here's a meme created by my one and only amazing beta sophie as she was editing the thing: [ the meme ](https://i.imgflip.com/13y9o1.jpg%22)
> 
> the wonderful, wonderful art sophie made for this fic, seriously, i love you: [here](http://undertheinfluenceoffreedom.co.vu/post/144217267621)!
> 
> [my tumblr](http://yaegrs.tumblr.com)


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